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It’s a bold proposition to open a Ligurian restaurant in the shadow of Delfina—arguably the father of this city’s modern Italian dining scene—but the team behind Farina has created a space so striking that it separates itself immediately. From the enormous white marble bar to the Valentino-red stools and the open shelving that makes ordinary glassware look like works of art, the high-ceilinged dining room positively gleams, and nearly every seat in the house affords a view of the action. In one corner, a young woman arranges cheeses on a platter alongside slices of house-baked hazelnut bread. Beside her, the cooks take turns turning out gossamer, yolk-rich sheets of pasta dough, and you can see the focaccia being shuttled from oven to table on miniature breadboards. Tortelli are filled with borage and ricotta, and ethereal handkerchiefs of pasta are sauced with a vibrant basil pesto that serves as a reminder that simple is often best. A small (and frequently changing) list of secondi piatti steers a more familiar course, usually including a filet mignon that arrives perfectly cooked, surrounded by a Béarnaise sauce and wild arugula. Despite the rich meal, the cheese plate beckons and the almond semifreddo makes a strong case for itself.
Farina 3560 18th St., 415-565-0360
It’s a bold proposition to open a Ligurian restaurant in the shadow of Delfina—arguably the father of this city’s modern Italian dining scene—but the team behind Farina has created a space so striking that it separates itself immediately. From the enormous white marble bar to the Valentino-red stools and the open shelving that makes ordinary glassware look like works of art, the high-ceilinged dining room positively gleams, and nearly every seat in the house affords a view of the action. In one corner, a young woman arranges cheeses on a platter alongside slices of house-baked hazelnut bread. Beside her, the cooks take turns turning out gossamer, yolk-rich sheets of pasta dough, and you can see the focaccia being shuttled from oven to table on miniature breadboards. Tortelli are filled with borage and ricotta, and ethereal handkerchiefs of pasta are sauced with a vibrant basil pesto that serves as a reminder that simple is often best. A small (and frequently changing) list of secondi piatti steers a more familiar course, usually including a filet mignon that arrives perfectly cooked, surrounded by a Béarnaise sauce and wild arugula. Despite the rich meal, the cheese plate beckons and the almond semifreddo makes a strong case for itself.
Farina 3560 18th St., 415-565-0360
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